


Buying Safety

by jalendavi_lady



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Amnesia, Camp Nanowrimo, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 17:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19323151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jalendavi_lady/pseuds/jalendavi_lady
Summary: Fic idea I had during a session of ore grinding for rupees about ore grinding for rupees.Link's thoughts while he's trying to afford a house. Happens before he finds the Lost Woods.





	Buying Safety

It was dark with only the sliver of a crescent moon and the reflections off of the river giving light. His hands ached on the handle of the sledgehammer, but he needed the ore badly and he didn't have to worry about attacks from stal up here.

What he did have to worry about was falling asleep and rolling off the ledge. He didn't know whether falling on the banks or into the river would hurt worse. He didn't really want to find out.

Even a handful of the rock salt pieces he would get tonight would let him sleep straight through the day and night in the stable below. He just had to make it through the night.

He wondered if life had been like this before Ganon had emerged. Not in the towns, but in the places between. All this ore had clearly been exposed since whatever event had split the mountain in two, and it seemed that must have been a very long time ago.

It didn't matter no, in any case.

Sometimes it was nearly a relief not to remember.

Tonight it meant he couldn't remember the days before the settlement outside Fort Hateno - or was it inside, since he'd never gotten a clear idea what it had been built to protect and from which side - was blasted to pieces of stonework. Back when he was a royal knight and could have demanded a warm meal and a bed.

Now?

There were a lot of people he suspected might be willing to spare a meal for the ancient hero, but there were limits. He didn't even ask in Zora's Domain, and there they were thankful enough for the help and respected Mipha's memory enough hat he might have been able to stay there forever for free.

He paraglided over to the next ledge.

"Three. Thousand. Rupees." He repeated it to himself under his breath as he flew over the river.

Three thousand rupees for the old house in Hateno, plus funds to fix it up inside and goddess only knew what that would take. That much between him and a roof and a bed he did not have to pay for by the night.

The bed at the Eastern Reservoir was too vulnerable out in the open air.

The old man's cabin was an easy glide from a shrine, but he was far too conflicted about the man to stay there for longer than he had to. Usually only a few moments to gather mushrooms.

He could only hope that an entire night on the cliffs swinging a sledgehammer until his strength tried to fail would be enough. He didn't know what he would do if it wasn't.

Probably try to find more ore.

He finished working his way down as the light of dawn filtered through the cleft in the mountain. He traded a few pieces of flint with Beedle and paid for a bed before Hino was even awake.

Hino was dragging himself in late the following night before Link woke up. He lay there until dawn just listening to the night sounds of crickets and horses.

At times like these, it was hard to believe he had 'died' a hundred years ago and under an hour's ride away. Somewhere in the wreckage outside.

He debated going harvesting for parts on the way to Hateno. He hadn't cleared out the decayed but live Guardians since the last Blood Moon.

But his shoulders ached and the other duties of the day were more important. And besides, Purah already had every part she wanted that he could possibly get from the excursion. He hadn't found any use for the rest yet but they were far too precious to sell for the handful of rupees he might get.

And the ones at the plateau shrine were an easier fight anyway.

It would be better to find a private spot and travel by slate.

* * *

It wasn't enough to buy everything he was offered to make the house into a home.

But he didn't need a home to defeat Ganon.

He hasn't needed a home to free Mipha's spirit.

What he needed, he bought.

The house, a bed, a door, and as many ways to store extra gear as Bolson Construction could make for him.

It took the rest of the day, but by sunset he was settling in for the night in a bed he owned behind a barred door.

He knew enough by now to know that none of the Yiga would come this far into a village. Too many eyes. They disguised themselves as the travelers who lived in and wandered between stables. The villages were small enough that everyone knew everyone. The Yiga could only hold the disguise until they were forced to start talking.

Even if the Yiga found out about this place, they would never approach it. And he was fairly sure he knew how to mask his movements into and out of the area, in the way he was fairly sure of a lot of things he could not remember being taught.

For now, this place was his and it was safe.


End file.
